Secrete Fine Jewelry encourages proper care of jewelry for several reasons. Jewelry should be cleaned for basic hygiene reasons– if it touches your skin, it should be clean. Jewelry should also be kept clean and well maintained for beauty– even the prettiest and most luxurious jewelry in the world will look cheap and lackluster when it’s dirty. Finally, fine jewelry is an investment, and improper care can cause irreversible damage to such precious items.
Pearls are especially misunderstood when it comes to cleaning. Pearls are not rocks mined from the earth, of course; they’re organic material created by living marine creatures. They cannot be cleaned the same way you’d clean a super hard diamond, and if they’re scratched, they can’t be repolished the way you can polish out scratches on a gemstone.
Pearls are a wimpy 2.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. The Mohs scale is a relative scale of hardness. Because of this, you can never use an abrasive to clean pearls.
Pearls are very scratchable. Their 2.5 ranking on the Mohs scale means that they can’t be scratched by gypsum, but calcite (chalk) is harder than a pearl.
The nacre of the pearl is the pretty, lustrous part on the outside. It’s very thin compared to the nucleus of the pearl. Because of this anatomy, scratches are permanent; they cannot be polished out like you can with other gemstones.
Pearls are also sensitive to heat and chemicals, which can be damaging to their fragile surface. Because of this, no harsh chemicals should ever be used to clean pearls. Ultrasonic machines and steam cleaners can also be damaging to pearls. Commonly available jewelry cleaning solutions are no exception to this rule. Soaps and solutions that are perfectly safe for gold, silver, diamonds, and other gemstones can ruin pearls, so be careful!
Finally, the way your pearls are set can impact the best method of cleaning. Pearl necklaces are often strung on knotted silk cords, which can stain if exposed to cleaners and can weaken if submerged in liquid for long periods of time. Pearls mounted on posts, like pearl earrings, are usually cemented in, and that cement can loosen with heat or cleaning solutions.
The Rules Of Cleaning Pearls
- Use a very soft dry cloth (like a piece of clean flannel) to gently wipe down pearls after each wear, and store your pearls wrapped in soft cloth like flannel. Wiping your pearls down regularly helps remove oils and pollutants that can eventually stain or damage the pearls.
- For thorough cleaning, make a gentle solution of mild unscented soap and warm (not hot) water. We like to use 1/2 teaspoon of Dr. Bronner’s baby soap in 2 cups of warm water. Dampen a very soft cloth in this soapy water and gently wipe down the pearls, drying thoroughly with a separate clean soft cloth.
- When the string of a pearl necklace is darkened, stained, or loosened, it’s time to have them restrung. A good pearl stringer can expertly clean your pearls at this time, too.
- For pearl studs, to sanitize the metal without damaging the pearls, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and carefully wipe down the metal stud, careful not to get alcohol on the pearl.
- If one of your pearls is already damaged, go to a jeweler to see what can be done. Often, a good jeweler can find a perfect match (whether you’re matching an entire strand, one pearl in a suite, or replacing one of a pair) to give new life to the damaged piece.
- Never use chemical cleaners on pearls, even if they’re naturally based or specifically made for jewelry. Natural cleaners often contain strong acids like vinegar that will destroy pearls, and jewelry cleaners often contain chemicals like ammonia or alcohol which will also damage pearls.
- Never get pearls hot. Heat can destroy pearls and their settings.
- Always protect your pearls from scratching. Even a soft toothbrush can scratch the delicate nacre of a pearl. Be smart when cleaning and storing your pearls to keep them from damage.
- Do clean your pearls! Even though you need to be extra careful when you clean them, it’s important to practice good hygiene with all of your jewelry, for your health and for the longevity of your investment.
Secrete Fine Jewelry created this beautiful necklace with an array of pink hued South Sea pearls, enhanced with a removable pendant of pink sapphires and diamonds in 18k white and rose gold. These lovely glowing pearls are cleaned much more gently than the hard gemstone pendant.
For a deep professional pearl cleaning, visit Secrete Fine Jewelry in Washington, DC, and Bethesda, Maryland. We offer full service pearl cleaning and repair, with certified pearl specialists on staff in our stores, and a dedicated pearl stringer in our workshop. Our stringing and matching services offer you the finest quality pearl work in the DC area. Whether you’re restoring older pearl jewelry or interested in custom-designing something new, we’re happy to help.
